To start - the photo album - https://photos.app.goo.gl/m816j6qm54nRQ5uw8
I'm a little bit late writing this up, some things won't be relevant any more, apologies. This itinerary is for someone who likes to be out doing stuff all day every day, most people will find it way too full on. If you are also like this, though, I'd say it was well-planned, I never felt overly rushed, though I could've maybe done with an extra half hour here and there (this is more a problem with Paris' need to book everything a month in advance with a specific timeslot than my planning). I found the people to be very friendly, and never had any trouble communicating - though my French is passable, most people switched to English quite quickly, and not just customer-facing staff but even people I stopped to ask for directions from.
Wednesday 25th October Finished work slightly early to get the Eurostar at 18:01 from London St Pancras. 2.5 hour train (and lose an hour to time zones). The hotel was near Place de la Republique, so walkable from Gare du Nord (Hotel Mimosa - cheapest hotel available when we booked. No complaints, nice staff, really clean, didn't try the breakfast). Only had time to check into our hotel and have a quick drink nearby (the end of the PSG game was on).
Thursday 26th October Disney! I wasn't sure about it since it was the middle of French school holidays, and there were certainly some long queues, but my friend insisted and I'm glad we did (although only because I went twice as a kid, if you don't have the nostalgia I don't think it's worth it on a busy day - one year I spent Christmas eve/day here with my mam and had Christmas dinner at the Cinderella inn). We went to Gare du Nord early to buy Navigo Decouverte passes (even though the week runs Mon-Sun and we arrived midweek it's still the best option, no faff with the little paper ticket booklets, covers as far as Disney/Versailles, and is pretty cheap), got the metro over and made it for almost gates opening. Got really lucky and managed to book a table for 2 at Bistrot Chez Remy (the Ratatouille themed restaurant) for the evening whilst on the train there (do this on the Disneyland app), even then the restaurant is only about a 6.5/10 but it's amazing compared to your walk-up options, I'd suggest trying to book one of the better ones a few weeks in advance (be aware of prices though!). The main park is exactly as I remember with one or two Star Wars things shoehorned in, the Studios park is completely different though - before it was all "behind-the-scenes" type stuff, now it's "everything we own that isn't Disney" (so half the park is painted Marvel, half of it is painted Pixar). Particularly sad the Armageddon experience is gone, as well as the statue of Mickey holding Walt Disney's hand. Last time I was here, Crush's Coaster had just opened so was 2 hour queues and I never got to ride it, and somehow 17 years later they haven't shortened. Maybe next time? Rides close at 10 but we stayed for the fireworks, was quite late getting back.
Friday 27th October Slightly later start, easy morning finding somewhere for breakfast, didn't have to be at the Louvre until 11:30. We tried the side entrance that I've seen mentioned on here a few times, don't think it works any more though. The queue to get in even for timed tickets is enormous, thought we'd be stuck there for hours but dead on 11:30 it started moving, and we were past security and into the main hall in about 20 minutes. Made a beeline for the Mona Lisa, having read about a lengthy queue we'd discussed just getting a drive-by/glimpse of it rather than waste the day, but actually there were about 50 people in the pen ahead of us (which is about 10 people wide) and we were at the front in maybe 5 minutes? My photo of it is timestamped 12:02. Saw the Winged Victory, didn't see Liberty Leading the People as it was down for restoration, but it should be back by the time you're reading this. The place is huge and I definitely missed loads (forgot to try and find Napoleon's apartment). I do like art but I found lots of this to be a drag - I like colourful/interesting stuff, but find portraits of old generals and paintings of Jesus incredibly tedious after a while. Glad I went, not sure I'll return though. I budgeted 3 hours which was pretty much perfect for me. Next stop Saint-Chapelle - the windows are as beautiful as you imagine. I've seen a lot of people saying it's a waste of time and money - it is very expensive for what it is, it is just the one room, depending on your budget it might not be for you, but if like me you're happy to chuck money at stuff when on holiday it's absolutely worth the time. I think we stopped at a cafe at this point? One of the typical Parisian ones, where you sit facing out onto the street. Afterwards we walked over to see Notre Dame (still closed due to the fire) and then down into the Latin Quarter. We stumbled upon a free street art exhibition just across from the Pantheon which I really enjoyed, then started looking around for an early dinner - which turns out to be quite challenging in Paris, nowhere opens before 7 it seems, but we did find an Italian place nearby. We needed to get to the Stade de France for 9 so the plan was to be south of the city to make sure we get onto the metro before it gets into the centre and fills up - needn't have bothered though, lots of trains, never got too packed, as organised as any other modern stadium, just aim to be at least 30 minutes early and you can't go wrong. Rugby World Cup 3rd place game - England beat Argentina 26-23, looked like it might be a walkover early on but it turned into a really tight game, great warmup for the main event. Second dinner at Au Pied du Cochon, the 24hr restaurant that gets mentioned on here a lot.
Saturday 28th October Started at Musee d'Orsay, 10:30 entry. This museum is much more to my taste, and a manageable size. The impressionist stuff is all up on the 5th floor and is spectacular, I have never before (and will probably never again) go to a gallery where I instantly recognise so many things! This was a particularly incredible experience as they also had a Van Gogh exhibition on at the time (focused on his works at the end of his life, when he was living in France and his work was becoming very sinister - sadly no longer on) and I'd just recently taken my mam to the immersive Van Gogh experience in Edinburgh as part of her 60th. The other exhibition was Louis Janmot's Poem of the Soul (a really long poem and a load of paintings to accompany each segment) which I can't claim to have heard of before, I wish I'd had a bit more time to enjoy it fully but I had other plans so only had time to look at the pictures. Catacombs were booked for 14:30 - interesting experience, I'd say worth doing but not a must. It's good to have something planned other than museums. Afterwards, had time to see Jardin du Luxembourg and Montparnasse cemetery (didn't take any pictures in here, feels wrong somehow, didn't find anyone famous anyhow), before finding dinner in Montparnasse. Then the World Cup final - South Africa v New Zealand, another very tense game! I seem to have a habit for picking rugby finals with early red cards.
Sunday 29th October Trip to Versailles, 12:00 ticket, full access. This is the one place where, even with a timed ticket, you have a long wait to get in. I got in at 12:40, and I was fairly early so near the front of the queue for my timeslot. The palace itself is fine, bit nicer than my house but not worth the trip on its own, the gardens are stunning though, I spent over 2 hours in them, and still pressed on to see the other areas. My favourite was Marie-Antoinette's hamlet, the pictures don't really do it justice but it felt like I was in a fairytale. I headed back to Paris and got to the Eiffel tower just in time to see it twinkle at 7pm (it does so every hour on the hour after dark). Walked over to Trocadero (the best place to view the Eiffel tower), then along to the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs Elysee. Took the metro up to Montmartre to go into Basilica Sacre-Coeur (free entry, and by this time no queue at all - they ask for no photographs so there's nothing in my album from inside, but there's plenty online). Ate nearby then had tickets for Moulin Rouge at 11.30 - like Saint-Chapelle, it's quite expensive, but a good time if you do decide to go. This was my most tiring day, over 35000 steps.
Monday 30th October Final day in Paris. I'd managed to get a spare ticket for Musee de l'Orangerie on an site called Headout (usually you would have to book this a while in advance, like most things in Paris, I guess someone returned one last minute? Could only get one, don't think my friend particularly wanted one anyway), 12:00 entry. I picked a route to pass a couple of landmarks - Opera Garnier, Madeleine, Obelique du Louxor. Monet's water lillies are, as you'd expect, absolutely gorgeous, and the only reason this museum exists really. There's some good stuff in the permanent collection in the basement though - I think I remember seeing a Picasso down there? I don't remember what the temporary exhibitions were at the time but I remember being unimpressed. Went back to the Eiffel tower to see it in the daylight, and stumbled upon Musee du Quai Branly. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, it's a collection of objects created by humanity when in a loosely "tribal" period? Which happened at vastly different time periods for each continent. And also there's some samurai stuff, even though Japan had a fairly well developed civilisation by the time they came around. The more you think about it the more it falls apart really, basically it's a museum full of really cool stuff. Had to rush this a little bit to catch the Eurostar (train at 17:00), was also panicking because I couldn't make contact with my friend, who had my luggage.

This is going to be the first of a number of posts on famous cases of paranormal phenomenon. Looking at the posts on this subreddit makes it easy to forget some of the real mysteries that have been documented over the decades. We’re going to start with one of my favorites, the Scole Experiment.
The Scole Experiment, conducted from 1993 to 1998 in the village of Scole, Norfolk, England, and is one of the most well-documented and controversial series of séances in the history of paranormal research. Named after its location, the experiment aimed to provide substantial evidence of life after death through physical mediumship (mediumship producing physical phenomenon).
The Scole Experiment was distinctive in its approach, combining traditional séance methods with modern (at the time) recording equipment. The sessions were typically held in a darkened cellar beneath the Foys' house, with participants sitting around a table. The primary goal was to establish communication with spirits and capture physical phenomena that could be rigorously tested and verified.
One of the first types of phenomena reported during the Scole Experiment was the appearance of lights. These lights, described as bright, darting, and often colorful, would move around the room, sometimes responding to requests from participants. The lights were said to exhibit intelligent behavior, changing direction, and interacting with objects and people in the room.
In addition to lights, the experiment also produced numerous instances of “apports,” which are objects that supposedly materialize from thin air. These objects included old coins, gemstones, and even a small crystal. One particularly remarkable instance involved the appearance of a newspaper from 1944, which was said to be in pristine condition despite its age:

Accordingly MK took the paper to the Print Industries Research Association, a world authority on paper and printing, who informed him in due course that their detailed examination of the typeface demonstrated that it had been printed by letterpress, a long-since obsolete technique. Furthermore, their chemical analysis of the paper on which the apport was printed revealed it to be Second World War newsprint, long since unavailable. In his further investigations MK ascertained that the apported version differed from the copy of the Daily Mail for April 1st 1944 kept in the British Library only in that it was an earlier edition of that day's print run.

The apports often seemed to have specific significance or connections to the participants or the spirits they were purportedly in contact with.
Audio phenomena were also a crucial part of the Scole Experiment. Voices were frequently heard, sometimes through direct voice communication where the sounds seemed to emanate from the air rather than from the mediums. These voices would converse with the participants, providing information and answering questions. Additionally, anomalous sounds such as music and unexplained knocking were often reported.
Photographic evidence also played a significant role in the Scole Experiment. The group used both traditional film cameras and infrared video cameras to capture images during the séances. Numerous photographs were developed that appeared to show faces, scenes, and symbolic images. Some of these images were obtained under conditions designed to eliminate the possibility of fraud, such as sealed film canisters that were only opened and developed in the presence of independent witnesses.
One of the most striking aspects of the Scole Experiment was the variety of spirit communication methods employed. These included automatic writing, where spirits were said to control the hand of a medium to produce written messages, and direct writing, where messages appeared on pieces of paper without any apparent physical cause. The group also reported instances of materialized hands that would touch and interact with the participants.
Throughout the duration of the experiment, the Scole Group maintained a detailed log of the sessions, meticulously documenting the phenomena and the conditions under which they occurred. Independent investigators from the SPR, including respected researchers Montague Keen, David Fontana, and Arthur Ellison, attended many of the sessions. These investigators reported witnessing the phenomena firsthand and concluded that the events could not be easily dismissed or explained by conventional means.
One particularly controversial piece of evidence involved the locking of sealed rolls of film in a box which were later developed and shown to contain images exposed across multiple frames, which would only be possible by removing the film from the roll entirely:

Walter describes how he bought a roll of film, put the unopened film in the locked security box, and held the box in his hands throughout the session, neither putting it on the table nor allowing anyone else to touch it. He then supervised the development procedure. Despite the film he purchased being unopened and in a locked box in Walter's hand for the whole session, there was writing along the length of the film in the form a German poem.

Modern-day researcher Brian Dunning asserts that the box was vulnerable to tampering:

One of the investigators, Alan Gauld, wrote critically of how he discovered this locked box could be quickly and easily opened in the dark, which allowed for easy substitution of film rolls. This box was provided by the mediums. Whenever any other sealed container was used, no images ever appeared on the film. Yet even while acknowledging these facts, the authors of the Scole Report still maintain that the film images are most likely evidence of the supernatural.

Source: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4179
However, Dunning leaves out additional information which complicates matters:

Just over three years later he came from Germany to the Scole Study Day to give an eloquent and concise (under-five-minute) account of the exact design of the box (he is a leading engineer) and the exact way in which he had held it during the experiment: three fingers pressed against one side; his thumb against another; his index finger on the top face; his palm covering the lock; the base resting firmly on the table. Only the side facing away from him (the base excepted) was uncovered by any part of his hand, and this side was slotted into the box from above and could not be removed without first dismantling the box from the top.

Source: https://www.thescoleexperiment.com/rosalind-oliver-the-scole-experiments-an-overview.html
Despite the extensive documentation and the involvement of reputable researchers, the Scole Experiment has faced significant criticism and skepticism. Critics argue that the conditions of the séances, particularly the dark environment, were conducive to trickery and sleight of hand. They suggest that the phenomena could have been produced by the participants themselves, either intentionally or unconsciously, through techniques commonly used by stage magicians—although throughout the thorough investigations no one was ever able to prove any such trickery actually occurred.
This case can’t be summed up in a single documentary or debunking. I encourage anyone who is interested to read the full report and consider the great lengths that investigators went to in order to try and determine the true cause. Uptimately, the ambiguous nature of parapsychological phenomenon means that what one ultimately chooses to believe about the case is going to come down to a matter of faith, not facts.
https://www.thescoleexperiment.com
https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/articles/scole-circle
A full-length documentary: https://vimeo.com/573225843
Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1189806.The_Scole_Experiment

Chapter 9
Location: On the Road to the Citadel. Outside Tulla Hold
POV: Orfantal
Tulla Hold is built in a cliffside and is massive. Haral tells Orfantal that Lady Hish is not here, so they don't have to go inside, which is good, because Orfantal's horse would not make the climb. Instead they camp. Orfantal does not share the captain's view of his horse. Orfantal thinks his horse is strong and will take him all the way to Kharkanas. Gripp notices the gate to the hold opening. Orfantal creates another fantasy where he gets kidnapped by bandits, but through cleverness becomes the bandit king until he is betrayed. Breaking him out of his reverie, Gripp tells him there is a highborn in a carriage coming out of the hold. About the same age as Orfantal. When they arrive they bring food and supplies as is the Tulla tradition. The young noble is Sukul Ankhadu, sister of Sharenas. Orfantal asks if she is a hostage like him. Haral tells him lesser families only exchange hostages with their equals. Tulla is of the Greater Families in court. Orfantal thanks Sukul for the food and supplies and she responds that he definitely didn't learn his manners from his grandmother who showed no honor to Urusander's Legion. Orfantal apologizes for his grandmother and Sukul who is touched by his words, says, "Should the need arise in your life for an ally, you may call upon Sukul Ankhadu." She beckons him to join her at a campfire. Orfantal imagines they will be great friends, but vaguely in the future awaits their betrayer.
Orfantal is dismayed that Gripp and the others left the two nobles to their own fire. While in their company he had begun to think there was no difference between them in regards to class. He was one of them. But now the division was obvious and he was reminded of the rules of behavior that made no sense and kept people apart. Sukul asks Orfantal to tell her about himself, saying that she knows about his grandmother and thought their line dried out. She says he must have come from far away. Orfantal knows the story he is supposed to tell when people ask him, but as Sukul is to be his companion he tells her the truth. He says Sandalath is his mother and his father died in the wars saving many famous highborn. Sukul says that Orfantal surely has a different story he's supposed to tell. Orfantal says yes, but that it doesn't make sense. Sukul asks if they are truly friends now. Orfantal nods. Sukul then gives him advice on what to do when he gets to the Citadel. She says he may be lonely as all the adults have very busy lives. He is surprised by this, thinking they would all welcome him warmly as they did his mother. Sukul tells him to seek out Lady Hish Tulla. Sukul will give him a message to give to the lady. Orfantal agrees and asks why she is a guest in Tulla Hold.
She says her sister has taken a wayward path and her mother did not want her to follow. Her mother was friends with Lady Hish from the battlefield and asked her for a favor. Lady Hish had also been on a wayward path, but has since pulled back. Sukul then tells Orfantal, "blood is not the only loyalty in the world. Two spirits, matched of vision, can reach across any divide. Remember that, Orfantal, for on this night such a friendship has begun, between us." She says that Hish Tulla is trying to forge bonds between nobles and officers in Urusander's Legion in order to prevent a civil war.. But that many officers like her sister have no interest in peace. Orfantal says he wishes that Sukul was his sister, Sukul says friends are better and more reliable. She also tells him to make the story he is supposed to tell, the truth in his mind. She makes him promise that he will tell no one else what he has told her. Sukul tells him, "You can create whatever truth you choose. We live long, Orfantal – much longer than the Jheleck, or the Dog- Runners. Live long enough and you will find yourself in the company of other liars, other inventors, and all that they make of their youth shines so bright as to blind the eye. Listen to their tales, and know them for the liars they are – no different from you. No different from any of us." A small voice in his head says that he does not like liars. Lying meant betraying loyalty.
Location: Citadel
POV: Rise Herat
Rise Herat and Legyl Behust, a small girl, are out on a merlon. Rise is telling her not to fall off. She is excited to be this close to the edge. He tells her to look out of the city, but to ignore the industrial section. She wants to see the forest he keeps talking about, but it has receded to a dark line on the horizon. He goes on to compare Kharkanas with a body with it's areas of industry. She doesn't understand him and says, "Cedorpul's a better teacher than you. He makes sense. You don’t." She leaves to play in her room. She is the lone hostage in the Citadel. Cedorpul had ambushed him and made him give her a lesson during his morning ritual. Before he could say no, Cedorpul was gone. Rise Herat is the court historian and attempted to give Legyl a history lesson, but her questions and comments confused him, so he gave up. He knows he's a terrible historian. He prefers sweeping color over obsessive detail and feeling over intense analysis.
He sees the shadow of Mother Dark's indrawn breath. The priestesses believe that she feeds on the light. He laments what must be if Mother Dark becomes absolute. The loss of light. He thinks of Kadaspala. The priestesses say that all who would dwell in the coming darkness would be able to see in it. He knew that would come from sorcery and so would not be free. Cedorpul joins him at the tower. Round face and round body huffing. Someone else comes with him. Cedorpul asks where Legyl is and Rise tells him in her room. He says that Rise has abdicated his responsibilities. Rise responds, just like you did this morning. Endest Silann pushes past Cedorpul to look out over the city. Rise asks what he sees. Endest says it is more what he feels and he feels unburdened. The weight on his shoulders will return when he goes below.
Cedorpul tells Rise that Warlock Resh brings a guest to see Mother Dark. He says that she is from the Vitr. Rise faces Cedorpul surprised by his statement and the man's lack of eyebrows or other facial hair. Cedorpul says they should reach the edge of the forest soon. They wanted to see if they could witness it from the tower. Endest jokes about the proper decorum. Cedorpul doesn't like his irreverence. Endest reminds Cedorpul in which state he found him this morning. Under 3 priestess candidates. He tells Rise that Cedorpul tells them that their prowess in bed must be tested prior to becoming priestesses. He also swears them to secrecy. Cedorpul is mad at Endest for outing him and also tells Rise that Endest doesn't mind taking his cast-offs every night.
POV: Sister Emral Lanear
Sister Emral Lanear is one of two High Priestesses in the court of Mother Dark. She thinks about the illusions they all must keep up. The lesser priestesses around her are gossiping about the visitor. Sister Syntara, the other High Priestess, calls to Sister Emral and tells her it is time. She does not like the young powerful woman. She thinks there is no need for two High Priestesses. The temple they occupied was built as a tribute to the long forgotten god of the Dorssan Ryl. The Yan and Yedan cults were of that time, but she dismissed those as they invented rules of suffering confusing that with faith. Syntara is annoyed that Emral continues to look in her mirror. She has topics to discuss with the other High Priestess. She tells Emral that they must be ready to take advantage of any opportunity. Emral has resisted her at every turn. Syntara says it's not her fault that Emral is old and she's sure Mother Dark only elevated her because she pities her.
Hunn Raal is in the city and Emral had denied his petition for an audience with Mother Dark. Syntara says that was a mistake and tells her about T'riss. Emral says she hasn't denied his petition, only delayed. She wonders aloud at the reasoning for Hunn Raal going to Syntara filling her ear. She surmises that he wishes to use this Azathanai from the Vitr to get a command from Mother Dark to mobilize Urusander's legion and reinstate it's veterans. Emral asks how the highborns will react to a full strength Legion in light of the proposed marriage between Urusander and Mother Dark. Syntara responds that Draconus's response to said marriage is the only thing people are worried about. Emral asks if he will indeed be sacrificed. Even if he is, that would be a short term mollification if Urusander's legion is full strength and holding their swords over the heads of the highborn. She asks Syntara if she would dance for them. This comment hits Syntara as there are rumors of her being a sex worker dancing in alleys in her youth. Emral says that hating Draconus is only a sign of jealousy and that he is granted no power from being Mother Dark's lover.
Location: Outside Kharkanas
POV: Caplo Dreem
The party escorting T'riss to Kharkanas is coming upon the edge of the forest. Previously they had stayed at the Yan monastery. Caplo thinks about how unfortunately he had made Faror Hend his enemy and how he would now have to assault her reputation. He thinks about when he brought T'riss to meet with Mother Sheccanto. Mother Sheccanto asks T'riss is she will be a guest here and T'riss responds how dry it is and it is not befitting a mother. Sheccanto says if she will not be a guest she can go on her way without delay. T'riss says that Mother Sheccanto's faith is empty, but that she likely knows that. She goes on to tell her that there was once a river spirit/god near here. Once they had dug the well and put in a fountain, they had made the god a prisoner. Prisoners die.
Sheccanto observes that T'riss lacks the tact of most Azathanai. T'riss tells her that tact is really just amused condescension. She tells Sheccanto that she is dying and her cult is dying. Sheccanto says of course she's dying and tells Caplo to get her out, but then T'riss accepts and says she will be a guest. She tells them that she thinks Mother Dark has made a grave error in judgment. Then she says she will now go bathe in the fountain. Sheccanto tells Caplo to stay and berates him for letting the bandits kill their children. The cult needs children to stay alive. Caplo was shocked by Mother Sheccanto's admission that of course she was dying. She had been alive for 2,000 years. Amid this reverie, she says, I'm not dead yet staring directly at Caplo. Caplo says he thinks the Vitr damaged T'riss. Mother Sheccanto responds, "Mad she may be, but her power remains, and it is unmitigated by the restraint of reason." She tells him he will be her escort to Mother Dark and to keep his skills at hand. He is an assassin and wonders if it's possible to kill an Azathanai. He also questions whether or not Mother Dark can protect herself. He thinks she surely can. Sheccanto says Mother Dark only trusts one man and he is an outsider who has gone to the Azathanai lands. Her old suspicions are awakened by this.
She goes on to say that while they cannot pierce the veil of mother dark, her spies tell her that Anomander may be able to, so that proves that others might as well. Caplo wonders aloud if he should just kill her here. But she is known to be here, so that would invite the wrath of the wardens. Caplo is doubtful of his ability to kill T'riss in the chamber of night as he has seen Anomander fight and knows he is fast enough to stop Caplo. Mother Sheccanto is fine with the odds and Caplo knowing his low chance of success understands that he may be a sacrifice. Mother Sheccanto tells him to only strike if T'riss intends harm to Mother Dark. They need Mother Dark's gratitude. Caplo's death is worth that gratitude in Sheccanto's eyes. She gives him other tasks to do while in Kharkanas. Caplo joins Resh at the fountain where T'riss swims naked. They philosophize for a long time, then T'riss gets out and asks Caplo, "Your Mother advised against my murder, then? It is well. You would not like my blood on your hands, lieutenant." Caplo denies, but then says they will defend our own. T'riss questions what constitutes 'their own' and that he relies on that ambiguity to justify his killing. She goes on to say, "I believe you are a killer, and that you are both given reasons for the necessity, and assemble in private more of your own, bolstering such justifications as needed." Warlock Resh gagging asks T'riss to restrain her power. T'riss responds that it isn't her. Caplo asks who's power if not hers. T'riss responds, "Your river god was dead. It is dead no longer." Warlock Resh says the god is enraged.
T'riss remained in her room for the next two days as the settlement is plunged into chaos. Mother Sheccanto has lost all control of her body and is confined to her bed. Resh had sent a rider to the Yedan monastery telling Father Skelenal. The thirteen eldest sisters among them had died. In the great well of the ancient god, the water boiled. As T'riss is readying to leave, Resh says he will wait for Father Skelenal to arrive. T'riss says no and that Resh is not needed here. Mother Sheccanto will recover and speak in private with Skelenal. T'riss orders Resh to accompany her. Resh accepts her command, but asks why. T'riss says he needs to witness what will happen. Caplo asks if she is a threat to Mother Dark. T'riss says if she is, there is nothing anyone can do about it, but she says no she is no threat. She says she brings change and how Mother Dark responds is up to her.
While on the way Resh tells Caplo that something is building and that the forest people are free and when they kill the last tree, the last free people of the realm will cease to be. After long discussion of this, T'riss breaks in and says their rituals are meaningless. Once subservience becomes rote, it ceases to be subservient. In any case that is not the relationship the river god wants. It wants comprehension on it's existence. T'riss goes on. You offer your life to the river god, but that's not what the river god wants and it has no idea what to do with your longing, helpless soul. If the god could make you understand something it would be, "the only thing worthy of worship is humility itself." Caplo starts to respond with derision, but Resh gestures him to be silent. Caplo thinks that though he was going to argue, he sees the truth in their predictable behaviors. Resh then exasperatedly asks, "what does our god want of us?" T'riss responds, "he wants you to be free." Caplo is rocked by this revelation. Warlock Resh is brought to tears. "In tears, water runs free."
Location: Citadel
POV: High Priestess Emral Lanear
Emral and Syntara are on their way to see Mother Dark and the way gets progressively darker as they get closer. Emral thinks that there is no beauty in the citadel and the old temple looks a skull with ants trying to escape. The Tiste are the ants. As they get closer Mother Darks presence weighs on them and they must slow down and their breath becomes more shallow. Most of the priestesses and those close to the goddess have developed some ability to see in the dark. Emral is shocked to feel a rain drop fall on her head. The water freezes as it rolls down her face. There was never any rain in the citadel. Alarmed she announces that something is happening. The rain starts to fall harder and the lesser priestesses are panicking. Emral tells them they are dismissed and that the High Priestesses need to speak with Mother Dark. Syntara is mad because Emral doesn't command the procession.
Anomander and his brothers arrive and tell the High Priestesses that the Azathanai is through the gate and that the river is flooding and water streams the streets. He asks for Emral's thoughts. Emral says the Shake. Syntara is looking around confused. Anomander tells Emral that it's unlikely that this is the doing of the Shake. They've never attempted to reclaim the old temple. Emral posits that perhaps they would be allies then. Anomander says they are unreliable, "One thing the worship of a dead god assures, and that is unmitigated freedom for the priesthood" They are off balance now. Emral says if the Shake are nimble they can turn this to their advantage. Anomander says Mother Sheccanto is very ill. Silchas responds that they must look to Warlock Resh then. Emral thinks this shows that Silchas too is very sharp. She tells the brothers that T'riss's escort is Resh and Caplo Dreem. Anomander says that they must think on why Caplo is here. They sniff out that Caplo is there to kill the Azathanai if necessary. Anomander says that he doesn't share Sheccanto's panic. Emral asks if the brothers can stop him. They aren't sure. Caplo is the fastest with a blade that either has seen. Syntara frustratingly says Anomander should then stand between Caplo and T'riss and that they are wasting a lot of time as the group approaches.
Syntara says they must warn Mother Dark. Anomander assures her that Mother Dark already knows and doesn't need anything from them. He goes on, "Sister Syntara, we hens have much to decide here, yet you persist in pecking the ground." Syntara asserts that she is a High Priestess. Anomander verbally eviscerates her, "Your elevation was intended to ease the burden of administration from Sister Emral. Little did Mother Dark realize your venal ambition, and if you think high tits and a damp nest are the surest paths to power, might I refer you to Gallan’s poem, “Trophies of Youth”? Anomander says he will address the Caplo situation. Emral is shocked by Anomander's revelation. She was not aware that Syntara's elevation was to help her. Emral feels a great fondness for all three of the brothers. They remind her of their father whom she loved.
Anomander says they will wait for the Shake party to come to them. Andarist points out that having so many here is a sign of weakness and says he will leave. Silchas says he will join him as his talents are made redundant by Anomander remaining. Silchas suggests that they go find Captain Kellaras who has recently returned to the citadel and enquire about Hust Henarald's answer to Anomander's request. Emral once again contemplates Anomander's competence and attributes it to the same qualities in his father. In the same thought she also hopes that none them have their mother's flaws.
Syntara asks if they will just stand there. Anomander responds that she's not needed and should go seek shelter in Mother Dark's presence. Syntara agrees, but says she won't sink to their level of rudeness. She says she seems to be the only one to understand the position of High Priestess. Anomander responds, "Would that be on your knees, Syntara?" Syntara, enraged, leaves. Emral cautions Anomander that while she is awful, she is not powerless. Anomander agrees that he was unwise, but thinks Syntara's rage will fall on Emral and for that he is sorry.
Location: Streets of Kharkanas
POV: Caplo Dreem
As they move through the streets of Kharkanas they encounter it's citizens in panic. Caplo, Resh, and T'riss stop their mounts in front of the rising water. T'riss says she will walk from here. Resh asks if all of the bridges and stone banks must be destroyed in order for the river to be free. T'riss responds that, "Mother Dark is awakened to its presence. She asserts her domain." The flood is subsiding and T'riss comments on Mother Dark's impressive power. T'riss continues on in the water. Caplo and Resh remain mounted and follow. Caplo looks and sees steam. Mother Dark's power is growing. T'riss wonders why if there is highborn and lowborn why there is no royalty among the Tiste. Caplo says their was, but the queen died on the battlefield trying to find her husband's body. The queen's body was never recovered. She was Mother Dark's half-sister. T'riss asks why she couldn't have just assumed the mantle of Queen. Caplo says it was possible, but that she was deemed unsuitable. Resh says that she was not political. She was idealistic and romantic. T'riss says she thinks the empty throne suits the tiste highborn. Resh says that the throne is now the throne of night and Mother Dark does indeed sit upon it. T'riss asks if she will be sitting on it when they have their audience. Caplo says he has no idea. It's in darkness after all. T'riss guesses that while the queen had no direct descendants that she did have other relations. She correctly guesses that these are Mother Sheccanto and Father Skelenal. She says that they could claim the throne. Resh stops Caplo and asks him why she knows this and why she's bringing it up. He doesn't know, but assures Resh that the age of Kings and Queens is over. For love the queen cast the realm into chaos. The lesson was not lost on the Tiste.
Location: Kharkanas Old Tower
POV: Rise Herat
Rise, Cedorpul and Endest Silann watch as T'riss and her escort walk down the street. Rise wonders if warlock Resh will lay claim to the Old Temple they are watching from as it was an ancient temple to the river god. They watch as Resh and Caplo dismount and continue on with T'riss leaving the other Shake behind. Rise wonders about the nature of Mother Dark's godhood. How it is difficult to worship negation and that if T'riss is in opposition it may help define how they worship their goddess. He also correctly guesses that T'riss is the one in danger at this meeting. Rise challenges Cedorpul's faith and Cedorpul takes Endest and leaves asking Rise to check on the child.
Location: CItadel
POV: High Priestess Emral Lanear
Emral and Anomander await T'riss and her escort. Syntara has gone in to commune with Mother Dark. Emral knows how frustrating that can be as she offers no clear answers. She says that Mother Dark is idealistic and romantic and that probably suits an object of faith and worship. As T'riss approaches a bloom of light does as well. Ice had sheathed the walls and it now cracked. T'riss displays great power. Emral wonders why the Azathanai are not worshipped as gods. Caplo and Resh follow close behind and look uncertain and exhausted. T'riss stops in front of Anomander and says, "Night will claim your skin. Before your eyes, darkness will be revealed. But I will make visible the defiance within you, as a gift." Anomander responds that he asks for no gifts and has no defiance. To Emral T'riss says, "Your sorrow, High Priestess, is lonely, and you are driven to share your truths. I advise against it. Give voice to your secrets and you will be rejected by those for whom you care the most." Anomander tells her if she seeks answers, she may be disappointed. T'riss says, "The Tiste view the Vitr as an enemy, It is no such thing. It exists for itself. It is a sea of possibilities, of potential. It holds life in the manner that blood holds life." Anomander asks if it created her, she says no. He says it is expanding towards Kurald Galain. T'riss responds, "The sea does not dream of you." T'riss says she will see Mother Dark now and moves past Emral. Caplo and Resh make to follow, but Anomander snaps out a hand and pins Caplo to the wall. Emral sees the gleam of a knife in Caplo's hand. Resh shakes his head and it abruptly vanishes. T'riss does not react to this and continues forward. Anomander tells Caplo that no blood is to spilled within the chamber. Caplo says the command is unnecessary. Anomander then addresses Resh and tells him to tell Sheccanto that if she ever sends her Assassin into audience with Mother Dark again, they will spike his head on the wall of the citadel. Resh agrees to relay the message.
From the doorway, T'riss's light vanishes and Syntara stumbles out skin changed to white. When Emral goes to assist her, Syntara declines and calls her a hag. She says she chose her gift and rushes out of the corridor. Resh groans and says, "She's gone." Anomander asks if she was banished. Resh asks if Mother Dark gives him nothing. He says she might, but he doesn't ask. Resh says time twisted in the chamber. It could have been days and that T'riss brought some of the Vitr with her. They didn't know. Anomander asks if it was weapon. Resh says, no it was a gift.
Anomander commands the Shake to stay and takes Emral into the chamber. Emral notices that the darkness is less oppressive to her and that she can now make out details of the chamber. Mother Dark is on the Throne of Night . She is now black-skinned. Anomander asks if Mother Dark is harmed. She responds that she is not. Anomander asks if she sent her away. Mother Dark instead addresses Emral saying she is now the only High Priestess and that Syntara chose to create a schism. It cannot be undone. Anomander asks about the ancient river god being resurrected. Mother Dark responds, "There is peace between us. You see too many enemies, First Son. We are not threatened from without; only from within." Anomander asks what T'riss has done here and how she has changed the darkness. Mother Dark again doesn't respond. She addresses Emral and says that the temple is now sanctified. Emral thinks sanctified by the Vitr? She wonders how Syntara was changed as she thought her faith unassailable. Mother Dark says T'riss was able to see deep into a mortal soul, but doesn't understand tact. She gifted Syntara with something that put her beyond Mother Dark. Mother Dark says that they both now have the ability to see in darkness and everyone who comes before her will receive the blessing. Emral looks to Anomander and sees his black skin, but is shocked at his silver hair. Mother Dark says she is troubled by this and that one day she will tell him of his mother. Anomander says he has no interest and that, "Love cannot survive the absence of memories, and for that woman we have none."
Anomander asks if she will meet with the Shake. Mother Dark says not yet. Anomander shouts, "then name your enemy!". Mother Dark says she has none. She asks him to win the peace for her. Anomander continues to ask about threats and to say that he is a soldier and cannot win peace without war. He asks how Syntara poses a threat. He says the Shake will not take her. Mother Dark says her gift will draw people to her and that they cannot stop it. The schism must be made so it can be healed. Anomander asks, what about Draconus. Mother Dark stills and tells him to leave. Anomander says without him he cannot accomplish his task. She tells him to leave again.
Location: Kharkanas
POV: Hunn Raal
Syntara has come into Hunn Raal's tent. He is shocked by her skin change and asks if Mother Dark had blessed her with new sorcery. Syntara responds that she has been cast out and that T'riss had said she could see in her soul and saw terrible things. She then touched her and did this. She demands sanctuary and says she needs the protection of the legion. He says it's now complicated. She says it wasn't yesterday when he groveled about everything being in place. He says she isn't a High Priestess anymore, so things are different. She asks if he is too drunk to fuck. He says probably. She asks if Urusander will take her.
She asks contemptuously if Hunn Raal will now wage war on the Azathanai. She says that T'riss disappeared as if she open a door in the air itself and Mother Dark recoiled from this power. Hunn Raal sees that Syntara is the same as him and tells her to take this information to Urusander. He tells her exactly what to say. He says she has light within her. She says she will now be a High Priestess of light. She says Liossan and asks who their enemies are. Hunn Raal responds that their enemies are anyone that seeks to hurt Mother Dark. He asks who could challenge this. She responds what about Draconus. He says Draconus uses Mother Dark, so is a threat along with The Deniers, and the brothers and sisters of the Monasteries. Syntara says they will plunge Kurald Galain into Civil War. Hunn Raal says they will prevent one. He says after they purge the realm it will be the end of war and Light will balance out the Dark. She says she wants Emral dead. He says no. Syntara dubs Urusander Father Light. She says she must leave immediately. She tells him his troops must wait now, the Highborn are no longer their enemies. He says he fears it may already be too late. She tells him to make sure it isn't.
Location: On the road to the Citadel
POV: Orfantal
The caravan comes upon some well equipped riders that are definitely not bandits. Haral moves the wagons to the side to allow them to pass. Orfantal notices the equipment of Urusander's legion. He asks Gripp if they are hunting bandits. He begins to say they are Legion. Gripp pinches him and tells him to shut up. Orfantal notices that Gripp is pale. Orfantal twists around to look at the soldiers and Gripp tells him to turn back around and ride on. Orfantal asks what's wrong. Gripp looks for a sign from Haral and sees it when he frowns. Gripp tells Orfantal to listen to him and that the soldiers are coming back. Orfantal asks why and Gripp says because the soldiers shouldn't be here. At least three of them were from disbanded units. He tells him to ride ahead and once he has a straight path to gallop. He says no more questions and don't look back. He slaps the nag's rump and she takes off. Orfantal hears swords being pulled as he runs away. He hears screaming. He presses the horse on and she gallops, but eventually slows.
He hears another horse galloping behind him and fears a knife in the back. The horse rushes past and he sees that it's Haral's but with no rider. It is soaked in blood and gore. He looks back, but is around a corner. He sees two riders emerge and they take off after him. His horse is laboring. Orfantal looks around for a place to hide. He pulls off onto a different path and hears the riders getting closer. He sees their swords are out. He kicks the horse forward and she sinks through the clay into mud. She pushes through. They are half way to the other side when she sinks to her belly and stops. Orfantal now crying sees that the two riders do not dare to follow into the mud. He dismounts and rolls away. The nag had now sunk to her shoulders. He knows she will die and knows that he betrayed her. He's not supposed to be the betrayer. He is able to stay on the crust because he is very light. He makes it across this bog and looks back to see the two riders leaving. He also sees two columns of black smoke and knows that all of his companions are dead. He knew they weren't bandits because they would not fire the wagons. He looks back at his horse. He goes back to her. He puts his arms around her neck and holds tight. The nag puts her cheek against his head and Orfantal weeps. The horse takes her last breath. He is now numb. He knows that the real world doesn't care about his fantasies. That anyone can be a betrayer and that he can trust no one, not even himself.

I'm a Finnish composer who doesn't speak a word of Arabic but wants to compose a small song cycle dedicated to the thousands killed in Palestine, to be performed in a non-profit concert to help Gazan civilians. Can someone recommend a poem or two?

Hi jazz people,
I am a teacher and have a student who would like to choreograph a dance to a recitation of a particular poem (below). Her vision is that the music would kind of mirror the shifting tone of the poem. I asked her what she sees as the different tones of the poem, and she said happy —> serious.
The poet, Countee Cullen, is part of the Harlem Renaissance movement, so I thought it might be appropriate to have a Harlem Renaissance musician’s instrumental track as the background to the poem and her dance.
However, in listening (admittedly not for very long) to some tracks from that era, I’m noticing that a happy tone in a song will stay happy through the end, or maybe have a slightly different vibe for a bit but go back to happy.
I was wondering if anyone can point me to an artist who might have an instrumental track that doesn’t resolve in the same harmony/key? It’s ok if they are not from the Harlem Renaissance, but later.
Thanks!
Poem: “The Dance of Love” by Countee Cullen
All night we danced upon our windy hill, Your dress a cloud of tangled midnight hair, And love was much too much for me to wear My leaves; the killer roared above his kill, But you danced on, and when some star would spill Its red and white upon you whirling there, I sensed a hidden beauty in the air; Though you danced on, my heart and I stood still.
But suddenly a bit of morning crept Along your trembling sides of ebony; I saw the tears your tired limbs had wept, And how your breasts heaved high, how languidly Your dark arms moved; I drew you close to me; We flung ourselves upon our hill and slept.

Good morning everyone, had to repost this because of a typo / mind slip, so happy Tuesday, and welcome to another selection for our sub's (semi) weekly listening club. Each week, we'll listen to a piece recommended by the community, discuss it, learn about it, and hopefully introduce us to music we wouldn't hear otherwise :)
Last time, we listened to Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration. You can go back to listen, read up, and discuss the work if you want to.
Our next Piece of the Week is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1937)
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Score from IMSLP
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some listening notes from Harlow Robinson

Sergei Rachmaninoff was far from the first composer (others include Chopin, Brahms, and Liszt) to find vicarious creative excitement in the explosive personality of superstar violin virtuoso Nicolò Paganini. One of the most vivid, highly publicized, and widely imitated musician-composers of the 19th century, Paganini (1782-1840) dazzled audiences with his superhuman technique and gaudy showmanship, and scandalized them with his voracious appetite for women and gambling. Observers astonished by the unprecedented scale of his talent repeatedly accused Paganini of having supernatural powers gained through a Faustian pact with the devil. Even the German poet Goethe, who knew a thing or two about Faust, found himself at a loss for words when confronted with Paganini: “I lack a base for this column of sunbeams and clouds. I heard something simply meteoric and was unable to understand it.”
Although Paganini’s music is not considered by most critics to possess much substance or gravitas, having been created primarily to showcase his circus-like acrobatics on the strings, its exuberance and charm cannot be denied. Nowhere are these qualities more attractively displayed than in the Twenty-four Caprices for Solo Violin (Ventiquattro Capricci per violino solo), Opus 1. Begun when Paganini was still a teenager, these pieces, each one ornamented with astonishing technical tricks like filigree on a shiny jeweled surface, contain what one writer has described as “a whole school of violin playing.” Brahms called them “a great contribution to musical composition in general and to violin in particular,” and was particularly drawn to the last in the series, No. 24 in A minor, itself a set of eleven variations on a beguiling simple tune. So taken was Brahms with Paganini’s theme that in 1865 he completed a major work for piano based on it: “Studies for Pianoforte: Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Books 1 and 2.” Franz Liszt, himself a renowned virtuoso and admirer of Paganini’s theatricality, also made an arrangement of Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in his Six Grandes Études de Paganini for solo piano. Rachmaninoff, then, was treading upon well-worn soil when he decided in spring 1934 to produce his own work for piano and orchestra using this same little flexible and malleable tune. Nor was Rachmaninoff the last to draw water from this well. In more recent years, composers as diverse as Lutosławski, John Dankworth, and Andrew Lloyd Webber have created pieces inspired by Paganini’s Caprice No. 24.
In his biography of Rachmaninoff, Barrie Martyn has explained why this theme makes such good material for variations. “It enshrines that most basic of musical ideas, the perfect cadence, literally in its first half and in a harmonic progression in the second, which itself expresses a musical aphorism; and the melodic line is made distinctive by a repetition of a simple but immediately memorable four-note semi-quaver [sixteenth-note] figure.” The circular theme (in 2/4) divides into two equal parts, the second being an elaboration of the first, and returns firmly and effortlessly to the tonic key of A minor. Perhaps even more important for a theme used for variations, it is immediately recognizable and distinct, even hummable, so that it retains its lightly muscled contours even through drastic transformations. In his variations for solo piano, Brahms had used the theme much as Paganini did, as a springboard for demanding technical exercises without a clearly defined overall structure. What Rachmaninoff did in his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is quite different, going far beyond the theme to create a large-scale concerto-style work for piano and orchestra with a clear and independent sense of formal design and sonority.
As numerous commentators have suggested, the Rhapsody is less about the theme of Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 than about the myth of Paganini, the quintessential Romantic virtuoso. As a renowned virtuoso himself (this aspect of his career had become especially pronounced in the United States, often to his irritation), Rachmaninoff was clearly drawn to the image of Paganini, particularly the persistent rumors of his demonic character and connections. This explains why, in the Rhapsody, Rachmaninoff chose to juxtapose Paganini’s theme with prominent quotations from the familiar Dies irae theme of the Catholic Requiem Mass. This theme (also used in the Symphonie fantastique of Berlioz, among numerous other works) had traditionally been associated with death and supernatural forces, and also shows up in several other of Rachmaninoff’s later scores (the Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphonic Dances).
That Rachmaninoff found a strong emotional connection with Paganini seems to be confirmed by the (in his case) highly unusual speed with which he completed the Rhapsody. It took him only seven weeks, from July 1 to mid-August of 1934. Not long before, he had moved with his family to a villa constructed for him near Lucerne, their first permanent home since leaving Russia soon after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Exile from Russia had already taken a strong emotional toll upon Rachmaninoff. After 1917, he would produce only four orchestral works: the Symphony No. 3, the Piano Concerto No. 4, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and the Symphonic Dances. Most of his energy went to making extensive tours as a virtuoso: he played sixty-nine dates in the 1934-35 season alone. Rachmaninoff complained of this punishing schedule in a letter written a few weeks after he finished the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. “Shall I hold out? I begin to evaporate. It’s often more than I can bear just to play. In short—I’ve grown old.” At the time, Rachmaninoff was 61 years old, just four years older than Paganini was when he died, burnt out by the frenetic existence of a virtuoso.
By the time he composed the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Rachmaninoff had already completed four large concertos for piano and orchestra and was a master of the form. Evidently he was at first unsure what to call the new composition, considering such titles as “Symphonic Variations” and “Fantasia” before settling on “Rhapsody.” The label of “Rhapsody”—which implies no particular form and has been used to describe very different kinds of works—belies the fact that the piece has a highly planned formal structure that corresponds rather closely to that of a traditional sonata or concerto. The twenty-four variations on Paganini’s theme are grouped into three sections. The first ten, in A minor, constitute an opening movement, with the introduction of the Dies irae theme in variation 7. (It reappears in variations 10, 22, and 24.) After the dreamy, transitional variation No. 11, variations 12 to 18 proceed like a slow movement, moving gradually from D minor to D-flat major for the climactic (and longest) variation, No. 18. Here the Paganini theme appears in inverted form, first in a sublimely lyrical twelve-bar passage for the soloist, then joined by the strings—music destined to become some of the most famous Rachmaninoff ever created. Returning to A minor, the final six variations act like a finale, featuring several impressive cadenzas. The last of these thunders downward through a resurgence of the Dies irae theme before halting abruptly at an amusingly understated restatement of the jaunty tail end of Paganini’s theme.
In the Rhapsody, Rachmaninoff overcame the crisis of confidence he had experienced in composing the Concerto No. 4, which he revised several times without ever feeling entirely satisfied. Here, he joined his long-admired gift for soaring, soulful melody with a fresh structural ingenuity. By turns playful, melancholy, military, and dramatic, the twenty-four variations are brilliant not only individually, but as part of a unified artistic whole. Of the New York premiere of the Rhapsody by the New York Philharmonic under Bruno Walter with Rachmaninoff at the keyboard, Robert A. Simon wrote in The New Yorker: “The Rachmaninoff variations, written with all the composer’s skill, turned out to be the most successful novelty that the Philharmonic Symphony has had since Mr. Toscanini overwhelmed the subscribers with Ravel’s Bolero.”

Ways to Listen

• Vladimir Ashkenazy with André Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra; YouTube Score Video, Spotify
  
• Anna Fedorova with Gerard Oskamp and the Philharmonie Südwestfalen: YouTube
  
• Yuja Wang with Gustavo Gimeno and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg: YouTube
  
• Yuja Wang with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic: Spotify
  
• Nikolai Lugansky with Alexander Vedernikov and the Russian National Orchestra: YouTube
  
• Daniil Trifonov with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra: Spotify
  
• Cecile Ousset with Sir Simon Rattle and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra: Spotify
  

Discussion Prompts

• What are your favorite parts or moments in this work? What do you like about it, or what stood out to you?
  
• Do you have a favorite recording you would recommend for us? Please share a link in the comments!
  
• Have you ever performed this before? If so, when and where? What instrument do you play? And what insights do you have from learning it?
  

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What should our club listen to next? Use the link below to find the submission form and let us know what piece of music we should feature in an upcoming week. Note: for variety's sake, please avoid choosing music by a composer who has already been featured, otherwise your choice will be given the lowest priority in the schedule
PotW Archive & Submission Link

(Forgive the title, I'm trying to be pretentious)
So I've spent a good amount of time on the internet(read: I'm chronically online) and I've noticed a lot of discourse on Greco-Roman mythology and its depictions in common culture and media. And as someone with strong opinions on such topics, I want to weigh in.
Now, just to be transparent, I am an unabashed fan of Greek mythology. I was introduced to it by Percy Jackson and other such children's mythology books and now I spend time delving into the corpus of ancient sources. But I'm not an expert and my actual experience with said sources are quite limited and I obviously don't know anything or even a majority or even a significant plurality on the subject. But I certainly have opinions and you are going to damn well hear about them.
Also, while I do recognize Roman mythology as well, I do in the end prefer the greek versions so I will by-and-large be using greek names
Also this is probably going to be a senseless ramble with little point behind it unless I come up with something on the fly, but I mostly just wanted to present my own opinions and maybe dispel some ideas that I find distasteful, which I believe are relatively common.

1. The Decentralization of Greek Mythology

This is something that I think even nowadays most people are fairly familiar with, even if some don't quite internalize it as much as they should, but I'll keep it brief.
Basically, there's no such thing as a "canon" myth. The practice of ancient hellenic religions was not founded in a central church or school, and local communities and people were free to interpret and tell stories on their own volition. Now there were some common themes, most of which are not relevant to mythology, such as rituals, sacrifices, temples, etc. But the point is that writers were basically free to do whatever they wanted with myths.
And this is all to say that anyone who claims that any interpretation or version of a myth, usually their own version funny how that happens, is "the correct version" is wrong. Tons of different writers wrote tons of different versions of myths, most of them contemporaneous to each other and so there simply isn't "just one canon"
One should keep this in mind when discussing mythology. When talking to someone else about myths, if they something that doesn't sound familiar to you, don't immediately assume it to be wrong.
But also, I personally think there are incorrect versions of myths, but really only those written in the modern day(or any time after classical greece and rome).

2. The Demonization of Ovid

Oh boy here we go.
Ovid was a roman poet who lived around the turn of the 1st century AD. Firstly I bring that up because Ovid actually lived a lot earlier than I had assumed for a long time. I had always heard of him as a "late roman author" but he lived only at the very beginning of the empire. Nonnus, for example, lived in the 5th century. Plutarch was born 30 years after Ovid had died, etc etc.
Anyway, Ovid is a source on many greco-roman myths, and he wrote on quite a lot of them. He is famous for popularizing/inventing many versions of myths such as Medusa and Arachne and so on. For a long time, he was where many people got their sources on ancient myths
But as of late, especially in more mythology-related circles on the internet, I think Ovid has gotten a lot of bad rep. Everywhere, every time without fail where Ovid is mentioned, there is always someone who says "Uhm, actually Ovid was the first person who blah blah blah and he had an agenda and blah blah blah" and so on.
Basically, Ovid is untrustworthy and you shouldn't pay too close attention to him because he hated the gods and the roman state.
Now, I think it's valuable to recognize Ovid's own potential biases and him being basically the primary source for many of his own versions of the myth.
HOWEVER
I think many people have taken this too far in the opposite direction and now entirely disregard Ovid. Which I believe is also the wrong move.
Because the truth is: Ovid was widely popular and influential in his time and long after it. He wrote for an audience familiar with greco-roman religion(because they were the ones worshipping it) and found great success and good reception. I think if his myths could be popular amongst the people who had the most reason to be critical to "new" perspectives on myths(because again, they were the ones worshipping it), then they can be popular now too.
Dislike Ovid if you want to, I won't try to tell you what you can and can't like. Call it anti-authoritarianism. But Ovid was nonetheless a major figure in the codification of greco-roman mythology and ignoring him outright is foolish.

3. Hades, Persephone and I Keep Banging on About the Pendulum

This one is truly just my own personal nitpicking, but this is my post so deal.
Essentially, I think for quite a long time, people regarded Hades as kinda like Satan. From the perspective of a thoroughly christian west, they both rule over this big dark underworld where the dead people go, bing bang boom, Hades = Satan. And this of course also resulted in Hades being largely demonized for this connection, being seen as evil and unjust and so on.
Of course in reality, the greeks and romans saw Hades(Pluto) in no such light.
Really, Hades was a fairly just, reasonable god who was well respected(if perhaps out of some fear).
But, I think people have started, again, leaning too far in the opposite direction. Hades wasn't Satan, he was actually just an uwu goth softboy who never hurt anyone and etc etc etc.
I think it is inevitably necessary in Greek mythology to take the good with the bad. No, Hades wasn't particularly evil and even, you could argue, behaved better than many of the other gods. He only cheated on Persephone once, Theseus and Pirithous totally deserved it, and he even gave Orpheus a chance.
But you can't deny that Hades was a respected and feared god, just as all the others were, and he did do some bad things.
Likewise: Persephone.
Look, I know people like Persephone and again, that's fine. And people want to break out of that very archetypical damsel in distress version of the myth and that's fine too. But I'm just really tired of "modern reimaginings" of Hades and Persephone where Persephone is a cool girlboss and Demeter is mean and evil. Was Demeter a little cruel for starving everyone? Yes, I'll grant you that. But it just feels like that's all everyone talks about nowadays.
Of course it's not so terrible. In the version of the myth that I had read, it was pretty ambiguous why Persephone ate the pomegranate seeds and stayed in the underworld, which I think is cool.
I should probably wrap this up

4. This isn't another point because I forgot what I was going to say

So...
DONT PRETEND YOU KNOW THE ONLY CORRECT VERSION
LISTEN TO WHAT OVID HAD TO SAY
FOR FUCKS SAKE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN HADES AND PERSEPHONE SERIOUSLY IM TIRED OF IT THERE ARE OTHER MYTHS LIKE I GO ON AO3(YES IM PATHETIC) AND LOOK AT THE MYTHOLOGY-RELATED STORIES AND THEYRE LIKE ALL HADES AND PERSEPHONE
OH, ONE LAST THING: I ENJOYED SONG OF ACHILLES TOO, BUT IT ISN'T REALLY AN "ACCURATE" RETELLING OF THE TROJAN WAR. I WONT COMMENT ON THE "GAYNESS" OF ACHILLES OR WHATEVER BUT TRY ONE OF THE ACTUAL SOURCES ABOUT THE TROJAN WAR, THOUGH THERE AREN'T ACTUALLY THAT MANY BECAUSE THEYVE MOSTLY BEEN LOST

Week 3: Limericks and the Art of Humor
Day 1: Decoding Limericks - Activity: Analyze classic limericks for rhythm and humor. - Lecture: Discuss the AABBA rhyme scheme and distinctive rhythm. - Discussion: Share favorite humorous poems and discuss elements that make them funny.
Day 2: Crafting Limericks with Wit - Activity: Write limericks individually, focusing on humor and rhythm. - Lecture: Explore the balance of humor and structure in limericks. - Discussion: Share and discuss individual limericks, highlighting successful elements.
Day 3: Understanding Free Verse - Activity: Analyze free verse poems for structure and expression. - Lecture: Introduce the concept of free verse and its flexibility. - Discussion: Discuss the liberation and challenges of writing without a strict structure.
Day 4: Writing Exercise - Expressing Emotions in Free Verse - Activity: Explore emotions and write a free verse poem. - Assignment: Craft a free verse poem exploring a personal experience or emotion. - Vocabulary Words: Enjambment, Cadence, Anapest.
Day 5: Peer Review and Feedback - Activity: Peer review workshop for free verse poems. - Lecture: Discuss the artistic freedom and impact of free verse. - Discussion: Share insights gained from reviewing peers' free verse poems.
Study Guide Questions for Week 3: 1. What defines a limerick, and how does its rhythm contribute to its humor? 2. Discuss the importance of the AABBA rhyme scheme in limericks. 3. How does free verse differ from structured forms of poetry? 4. Explore the challenges and benefits of writing without a strict form in free verse. 5. Reflect on the emotions and experiences expressed in your free verse poem.
Quiz: Assessment on limericks, the AABBA rhyme scheme, and the principles of free verse.
Week 4: Free Verse and Acrostic Poetry
Day 1: Embracing Free Verse - Activity: Analyze diverse free verse poems for individual expression. - Lecture: Discuss famous free verse poets and their impact on the genre. - Discussion: Share personal reactions to the artistic freedom of free verse.
Day 2: Crafting Emotion in Free Verse - Activity: Write a free verse poem expressing a specific emotion. - Lecture: Explore the role of emotions in free verse and the use of vivid imagery. - Discussion: Share and discuss individual poems, highlighting emotional impact.
Day 3: Understanding Acrostic Poetry - Activity: Analyze acrostic poems for clever wordplay. - Lecture: Explain the concept of acrostic poetry and its various forms. - Discussion: Share examples of creative acrostic poems.
Day 4: Writing Exercise - Personal Acrostic - Activity: Craft an acrostic poem using your name or a chosen word. - Assignment: Write an acrostic poem exploring a theme or concept. - Vocabulary Words: Strophe, Stanza, Consonance.
Day 5: Peer Review and Feedback - Activity: Peer review workshop for acrostic poems. - Lecture: Discuss the playfulness and creativity of acrostic poetry. - Discussion: Share insights gained from reviewing peers' acrostic poems.
Study Guide Questions for Week 4: 1. Explore the role of emotions in free verse poetry. How does it differ from structured forms? 2. Discuss the impact of vivid imagery in free verse. How does it contribute to the overall message? 3. What defines acrostic poetry, and how is it different from other forms? 4. How can clever wordplay enhance the impact of an acrostic poem? 5. Reflect on the creative process and thematic exploration in your acrostic poem.
Quiz: Assessment on understanding free verse, emotional expression in poetry, and the principles of acrostic poetry.

A sonnet is a 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter. The two most common types of sonnets are the Shakespearean (or English) sonnet and the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet.

1. Shakespearean Sonnet (or English Sonnet):
   
   • Consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a rhymed couplet (two-line stanza).
   • Rhyme scheme: ABABCDCDEFEFGG.
   • Typically written in iambic pentameter (ten syllables per line with emphasis on every second syllable).
2. Petrarchan Sonnet (or Italian Sonnet):
   
   • Comprises an octave (eight-line stanza) followed by a sestet (six-line stanza).
   • Rhyme scheme for the octave: ABBAABBAA.
   • Rhyme scheme for the sestet: Various patterns, such as CDCDCD or CDECDE.
   • Often written in iambic pentameter.

Sonnets are known for their structured and intricate form, and they are commonly used to express themes of love, beauty, nature, and the complexities of human emotions. Notable poets who wrote sonnets include William Shakespeare, Petrarch, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Upon the street, where bustling crowds align (A) A newspaper salesman, sturdy stand (B) His papers rustling in the breezy grand (A) In ink-stained hands, his stories intertwine (B)
With every headline, tales unfold, unfold (C) Of distant lands and local joys and strife (D) His voice, a herald in the urban life (C) Echoing narratives, both young and old (D)
Through ink and paper, stories find their flight (E) He's not just selling news, but dreams untold (F) Each page a canvas, vivid tales in sight (E)
In city hum, where stories often fold (F) He stands, a keeper of the printed lore (G) A newsman's heart, with every paper, more (G)

# Today In Phishstory - May 28th Brought to you by tiph-bot. Beep.
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Phish

Phish, Saturday 05/28/2022 (2 years ago) The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 2022 Spring Tour
Set 1 : Sigma Oasis , Possum , AC/DC Bag > Reba , Roggae , My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own > The Final Hurrah > Free
Set 2 : A Wave of Hope > Mr. Completely > Walk Away , Golden Age > What's the Use? > The Moma Dance , If I Could > Run Like an Antelope
Encore : I Am in Miami , Izabella
Jamchart Notes:
Sigma Oasis - In a string of strong openers, Sigma Oasis gets the extended treatment for the second time. Soaring play from Trey kicks the jam off, which gives way to a breakdown jam. Mike is inventive and creative throughout.
Free - Some dirty chord work from Trey nudges the jam out of the usual bass-guitar duel into a into a full-on barrage of synths and effects creating a killer atmospheric groove. Filthy, filthy version.
Golden Age - Takes a little bit of time to get going, but then resolves into a funky and bouncy jam not far away from "YPC", grows in power slowly and steadily, and nicely peaks before heading home. As with the 8/11/21 "BOAF" or 11/23/97 "Gin", finds its pocket and stays in it to very nice effect.
Show Notes:
My Mind's Got a Mind of its Own was performed for the first time since October 25, 2013 (285 shows). Page teased Frankenstein in The Final Hurrah. Fish teased Mr. Completely in Walk Away.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Saturday 05/28/2011 (13 years ago) Bethel Woods, Bethel, NY, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 2011 Early Summer Tour
Set 1 : Theme From the Bottom , NICU , Cities , Halley's Comet > Runaway Jim , Gumbo > Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) > Limb By Limb , Horn , Bathtub Gin -> Manteca > Bathtub Gin
Set 2 : Down with Disease ¹ > Free > Backwards Down the Number Line > Makisupa Policeman ² > Harry Hood > Cavern > David Bowie
Encore : A Day in the Life
1 Unfinished. 2 With lyrics referencing several band members' houses (and Trey's favorite show, House).
Jamchart Notes:
Cities - Nice little extended outro with a good Trey-led peak.
Halley's Comet - Percussion driven, exploratory version that manages to cover a lot of ground in a relatively short time.
Bathtub Gin - "Gin" -> "Manteca" > "Gin." The "Gin" sections, although largely straightforward, include improvisational playing by Trey. "Manteca" includes "Golden Age" jamming, with fans thus dubbing this version the "GoldenGinTeca."
Manteca - -> in from "Gin." The jamming just before and during this "Manteca" includes teases of "Golden Age," causing fans to dub this version the "GoldenGinTeca." > back to "Gin."
Bathtub Gin - > in from "Manteca" to end this fine version.
Backwards Down the Number Line - The band incorporates a lot of "DEG" teasing/jamming into the standard format. The mood shifts back and forth from bright to dark several times, with "DEG"-like playing at various times throughout, before returning to "BDTNL." A very cool version.
Makisupa Policeman - An energetic, funky jam emerges at around 5:30 after some chanting on "House." This is a fun, well-played version.
Harry Hood - This "Hood" has a really nice jam that sounds similar to "Faht" at times. Returns to "Hood" to close.
Show Notes:
Gin included a mash-up jam of Golden Age and Manteca and later closed with a Manteca quote from Trey. Disease was unfinished. BDTNL featured a DEG tease from Mike. Makisupa included lyrics referencing several band members' houses (and Trey's favorite show, House ).
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Saturday 05/28/1994 (30 years ago) Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, CA, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 1994 Spring Tour
Set 1 : Rift > Sample in a Jar , Foam , Bouncing Around the Room , Stash , The Horse > Silent in the Morning > The Sloth , Maze , Cavern
Set 2 : Axilla (Part II) > It's Ice > Tweezer > Lifeboy > Reba ¹ , Fee ² > Llama , You Enjoy Myself ³
Encore : Poor Heart
1 No whistling. 2 Trey sang verses through megaphone. 3 Les Claypool on bass and Fish on vacuum; no vocal jam.
Jamchart Notes:
It's Ice - Wild, electro-rock jam!
Reba - Super version. Trey drives a great, dark, direct yet swinging groove, with Page providing really colorful fills. Mike is on-point, his play incredible, and, with Fish, inciting a sort of charge from Trey who creates an electric solo through an incredible conclusion.
Show Notes:
This performance was part of the Laguna Seca Daze Festival that also included Sausage, Gin Blossoms and Freddy Jones Band. Trey teased Sailor's Hornpipe in Tweezer. Reba did not have the whistling ending. Trey sang the verses of Fee through a megaphone. YEM featured Les Claypool playing on a second bass guitar and Fish on vacuum, and included a band-accompanied bass duel between Mike and Les and a Gimme Some Lovin' tease from Page, Dueling Banjos teases in the jam segment, and a Yankee Doodle tease. YEM ended without a vocal jam. Dueling Banjos was also teased before and during Poor Heart.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Monday 05/28/1990 (34 years ago) Jack McConnell's House, Hilton Head, SC, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 1990 Tour
Set 1 : Blue Monk , Autumn Leaves , Donna Lee , How High the Moon , My Funny Valentine ¹ , Take the 'A' Train , Sweet Adeline , St. Thomas , Caravan , Carolina , Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? ² , Piano Boogie Woogie Jam ¹ , I've Got You Under My Skin ¹ , Satin Doll , Lawn Boy , Contact
1 First known Phish performance. 2 First known Phish performance; with Dr. Jack McConnell.
Show Notes:
This was a private one set jazz show at Page's parents' housewarming party. It is thought to have happened on Monday, May 28th, but could possibly have taken place Sunday, May 27th. This show featured the first known Phish performances of My Funny Valentine, Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home, Piano Boogie Woogie Jam and I've Got You Under My Skin. Page's dad, Dr. Jack McConnell, joined the band for Bill Bailey. The source of this setlist is phish.com.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, Sunday 05/28/1989 (35 years ago) Ian McLean's Party, Connie Condon's Farm, Hebron, NY, USA
Gap Chart, Tour: 1989 Tour
Set 1 : Divided Sky , Run Like an Antelope , Colonel Forbin's Ascent > Fly Famous Mockingbird , Fee -> Slave to the Traffic Light , Esther , Suzy Greenberg , You Enjoy Myself ¹
Set 2 : Fire , Mike's Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove , Bathtub Gin , Sanity ² , Ride Captain Ride , Peaches en Regalia , Take the 'A' Train ³ , Possum , Contact ⁴ , Funky (Breakdown) ⁵ -> The Price of Love ⁶ , Funky Bitch , Split Open and Melt ⁷ , The Mango Song , Harry Hood
Set 3 : Jam -> La Grange Jam , The Sloth , Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley > Ya Mar ⁸ , Jesus Just Left Chicago
1 Poop Vocal Jam. 2 Fast version. 3 Unknown saxophone player named "Paul." 4 Trey wished the crowd "Merry Christmas" several times. 5 First known Phish performance; Ninja Mike on vocals and Magoo on guitar. 6 Ninja Mike on vocals, Magoo on guitar and Fish on vacuum and trombone. [7] Fish drum solo. [8] Lyrics referenced wild pigs and Paul.
Jamchart Notes:
Slave to the Traffic Light - Although this version begins with spacey elements similar to 5/6/89, it also peaks in a more customary and shredding manner, reestablishing a more conventional approach to the jam.
Esther - > from "Slave to the Traffic Light," this too is slow, patient, and well-played. Trey is particularly on point, deploying a series of "jazzy" chords before offering up a great solo.
You Enjoy Myself - Very good early version with hilarious "POOP" VJ!
Jam - A somewhat dark, low-key jam opens Set III at Ian McLean's Party, builds intensity, and -> to a brief "La Grange" jam.
Jesus Just Left Chicago - Machine Gun Trey in combat action in the latter half of this jam.
Show Notes:
Trey dedicated the Divided Sky opener to "the spirit of the pig." Trey briefly teased TMWSIY before Antelope. This YEM featured the infamous "Poop Vocal Jam," followed by a set-stopping keg run. Mike's Song included a tease of the HBO theme song. Sanity was the fast version and dedicated to Eric Larson. 'A' Train featured "Paul," an unknown audience member, on saxophone and included a Dixie tease from Trey. During Contact, Trey wished the crowd "Merry Christmas" several times, quoted Blue Bayou (with slightly altered lyrics) in a falsetto voice and teased Auld Lang Syne at the end of the song. This show featured the first known Phish performance of Funky (Breakdown). Funky (Breakdown) and Price of Love featured guest appearances by Ninja Mike (vocals) and Magoo (guitar). Fish intermittently played trombone and vacuum during the latter. Melt featured a Fish drum solo. The vocal jam at the end of Sneakin' Sally included Changes (David Bowie) and My Sharona (The Knack) quotes. Ya Mar's lyrics included references to wild pigs and Paul.
Listen now at Phish.in!
Phish, 1988-05-28 Wedding Reception, Waitsfield, VT, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/phish-may-28-1988-wedding-reception-waitsfield-vt-usa.html
Tour: 1988 Tour
Show Notes:

Trey Anastasio

Trey Anastasio Band, 2020-05-28 Thompson's Point, Portland, ME, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/trey-anastasio-band-may-28-2020-thompsons-point-portland-me-usa.html
Tour: Not Part of a Tour
Show Notes: This performance was cancelled as a result of the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
Trey Anastasio Band, 2019-05-28 Jannus, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/trey-anastasio-may-28-2019-jannus-landing-st-petersburg-fl-usa.html
Tour: Not Part of a Tour
Show Notes:
Trey Anastasio Band, 2017-05-28 Three Sisters Park, Chillicothe, IL, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/trey-anastasio-may-28-2017-three-sisters-park-chillicothe-il-usa.html
Tour: Not Part of a Tour
Show Notes: This performance was part of Summer Camp Music Festival and took place on the Sunshine Stage. This show featured the TAB debut of Midnight Rider. Money, Love and Change contained a San-Ho-Zay tease.
Trey Anastasio Band, 2003-05-28 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/trey-anastasio-may-28-2003-electric-factory-philadelphia-pa-usa.html
Tour: TAB - The Dectet Summer 2003 Tour
Show Notes: Trey performed "The Inlaw Josie Wales" and "Secret Smile" solo, acoustic.
Trey Anastasio Band, 2002-05-28 Open Air Theatre, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/trey-anastasio-may-28-2002-open-air-theatre-san-diego-ca-usa.html
Tour: TAB - The Dectet Summer 2002 Tour
Show Notes: The cover of Dire Straits' "Sultans of Swing" was a TAB debut. Trey performed "Thunderhead" acoustic.

John Fishman

Jazz Mandolin Project, 2004-05-28 Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Setlist: https://phish.net/setlists/jon-fishman-may-28-2004-theatre-of-the-living-arts-philadelphia-pa-usa.html
Tour: Fish - Jazz Mandolin Project Summer 2004 Tour
Show Notes: Al and the Transamericans opened. "What Is and What Should Never Be" featured Al Schiner on guitar. "Ballad for Trio" featured Gordon Stone on pedal steel guitar. "Dark Eyes" featured Mark Guiliana on box drum.

Other than Duan Ge Xun, u/WoodNymph34 gave me a link to that. Thanks for that, by the way. :D
But I want to see if there's any collection of Cao Cao's poems and, if possible, when they were made and under what circumstances. I really want to make sure to give attention to his poetry because, underneath all the blood and fury, a poet's soul shines through.
Or so poets say anyway.
Mostly, I feel like using some for my next illustration.

Imagine for a moment that the origin story DOES begin with John Cabot's lost expedition to Newfoundland. And we now need to resolve what Kristi mentioning Iceland means within that context.
Now, you might think this is a clue for Leif Eikson, the first european to visit North America in the year 1000. We already know Leif's a clue, as Duluth, the place Fatima's cross-dressing friend came from, is famous for its replica of Leif Erikson's ship (and their famous park is named after him). We also know icelandic runes, elder futhark, are on the show, sometimes mirror flipped - (see the Ingwaz on the talisman, Tiwaz as Boyd's arrow on the tree and what might be a mirror flipped ansuz with an extra tine, that we see on the cave wall and the talisman).
But if this all begins with Cabot in 1498, then Leif and his icelandic settlers on Newfoundland would be long dead. Indeed, I think that Cabot's marooned colony shelter in their old settlement, and perhaps it's where the stone circle comes from - but nothing more.
Now, Richard Amerike is likely a part of Cabot's expedition. He was Sheriff of Bristol (which is why Boyd is a sheriff on the show, and why Morgan Earp will be in the 1883 timeline), as well as a merchant (khatri means merchant class) and he funded Cabot's first journey to Newfoundland. He also apparently had naming rights to any islands Cabot found. Some even think America was named after him, and a few have theorised that the stars and stripes of the USA were based on his coat of arms.
Ellis: "naming rights optional"
Mr Liu: "he want America name"
He was also the King's Customs Officer, known at that time as the 'Customer'. Sarah: “How’s my favorite customer?”
But then when I read about Amerike's life, and I learned he had an icelandic thrall slave - super rare bit of trivia about him - this was not a common thing. And then I realise that there's an icelandic celebration in the origin story - they do Kvoldvaka (too much to explain). So, there must be an icelandic person in the origin story too - perhaps this thrall is the source of the symbols.
Separately, history tells us that Cabot brought an unnamed "genoese barber" and an unnamed "burgundian" with him on his explorations. And I believe that on the show they're portrayed by Oliver le Daim and Phillipe de Commines, real historical figures. In fact I think we'll learn all about the origin story through Philipe de Commines diaries, which Tabitha will find in Vicor Hugo's book collection perhaps after dreaming some clues...but that's for another post.
So it gets me thinking, will they make the icelandic thrall a historical figure too?
But icelandic history is SPARSE for the 15th century. It's all very boring legal stuff really, it had a super low population and very little going on.
THEN, I find a reference to a book created by an Icelandic bishop of that era. The Book of Power, Rauðskinna (‘Red Skin’ in Icelandic) took its name from the red cover written in gold-lettered runes. Its main objective was to use magic to bind Satan to his will.
Another legend says that a young man ended up with it. That the true author of the book was Keli the Wizard, who passed the book down to his grandson Jon, from whome the book was stolen by said bishop.
I also see many references to writing on the walls in the show - Jade threatens to do it to Kenny, and of course the Matthews family write ont he wall and there's loads of writing all over the walls in chalkboard poems, kids alphabet letters and drawings etc.
So my theory is this. In the cannon of Fromland, Jon Thorkell steals back the book and somehow ends up becoming a thrall - perhaps he is framed for a crime, or falls into debt. He ends up with Richard Amerike on the lost voyage to Newfoundland, and gifts the book to the witch there.
The book ends up being used in the witch's duel with the bogeyman, with her writing the symbols on the walls, to bind the devil in her witch's bottle apotropaic trap.

Recently made a post about this in another sub, figured it might be relevant here as well. In Sura Nuh, we read Noah relating in a prayer what the unbelievers told him where they say:
وَقَالُوا لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا
And they said: Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr.
Seems pretty straight forward, the idolators are simply saying not to abandon their gods. Here's the problem though, the names of the gods listed above in the story are taken from tribes in the Arabian peninsula. In Hisham al-Kalbi's book, Kitab al-Asnam (the Book of Idols), he tells us about various gods that the pre-Islamic Arabs used to worship, which include the above.
For Wadd:

The Kaib adopted Wadd [as their god. That was] in Dimat al-Jandal.

For Suwa:

The Hudhayl adopted Suwa [as their god] and placed it in Ruhat in the vicinity of Yanbu’, one of the villages of Medina. The custodians [of its temple] were the banu-Lihyan. However, I have not heard any mention of it in the poems of the Hudhalites. I did, however, hear of it in a poem by a certain man from Yemen.

For Yaghuth:

The Madhhij as well as the people of Jurash adopted Yaghuth (as their god). Said the poet: “May Wadd keep thee and bless thee! For to us it is unlawful With women to daily and wanton; Thus our faith hath resolved.” Said another: “Yaghuth led us unto the Murad, And we vanquished them before the morning.

For Ya'uq:

The Khaywin adopted Ya’uq as their god. It was placed in a village of theirs called Khaywan, at a distance of two nights’ journey towards Mecca. I have not heard of the Hamdan, or of any other tribe among the Arabs, naming any of their members after Ya’uq [i.e. calling any individual ‘Abd-Ya’uq]. Nor have I ever heard of any mention of Ya’uq in their poetry. I think this is because they were situated close to San’a, and consequently mixed with the Himyar and embraced Judaism with them at the same time when dhu-Nuwas accepted the religion of Israel and converted his followers to it.

And for Nasr:

The Himyar adopted Nasr as their god, and worshipped it in a place called Balkha’. I have not, however, heard of the Himyar naming any of their members after Nasr (i.e. ‘Abd- Nasr]. Nor have I heard of any mention of Nasr in the poetry of the Arabs. I think this is because the Himyar relinquished idolatry and embraced Judaism during the reign of Tubba’.

So why is this a problem for the Quranic narrative? The question here is how would Arab tribes contemporaneous (or even some centuries removed if we go with the view that polytheism was basically dead before Islam came on the scene, as the epigraphic evidence seems to suggest) know about gods from before the Flood, however many thousands of years past? Who would have brought over the knowledge of the gods when their worshippers would have all been destroyed in Noah's flood?
Even if one argues that the Flood might not have been global, it wouldn't make sense to think the people Noah was directly preaching against wouldn't have been destroyed. In fact, the Quran tells us they were destroyed in the same chapter:
وَقَدْ أَضَلُّوا كَثِيرًا ۖ وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا ضَلَالًا ‎﴿٢٤﴾‏ مِّمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنصَارًا ‎﴿٢٥﴾‏ وَقَالَ نُوحٌ رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ دَيَّارًا ‎﴿٢٦﴾‏ إِنَّكَ إِن تَذَرْهُمْ يُضِلُّوا عِبَادَكَ وَلَا يَلِدُوا إِلَّا فَاجِرًا كَفَّارًا

Because of their sins they were drowned and put into the Fire, and they found not for themselves besides Allāh [any] helpers. And Noah said: My Lord, do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers an inhabitant. Indeed, if You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and not beget except [every] wicked one and [confirmed] disbeliever.

So how then, if they were all destroyed, would the knowledge of these gods then reached some Arab tribes thousands of years later? Where were their worshippers in all this intervening time period, including when according to Islamic belief the Arab tribes beforehand would have been following the Abrahamic religion before they started becoming idol worshippers? Certainly Noah wouldn't have preserved their idols and taught his children that they were gods. And how much of a coincidence is it that in the entire world, out of all the descendants of Noah (which depending on how you read the story could include everyone alive today), only these Arab tribes that just happen to live around Muhammad's homeland should have remembered them?

Hey,
I've been experimenting with AI and how models can "perceive" spaces - This experimentation/thing is called "Data Poets". It's a social network that transforms pictures of places into poems. You can check it out here: Data Poets.
The idea came from combining psychogeographic walks with AI. I wanted to look how Large language models could interpret and potentially augment sensory experiences. Users upload pictures of places and the AI generates poems from these images. It was surprisingly tricky to get decent enough poems!
The site is still a work in progress. I'm considering adding features like a map or filtering poems by location to make it easier to find "hot poems near you".
I'm looking for feedback, opinions, suggestions - is this something interesting? Do the poems add anything to the pictures?

Unveiling the Allure of the Ghazal Form**
Summary:
A ghazal is a poetic form with Middle Eastern origins, typically composed of rhyming couplets and a repeating refrain. Each line of the poem shares a common meter, and the last word of the second line in each couplet rhymes throughout the poem.
Examples:

1. "The Beloved" by Rumi.
   
2. "Ghazal" by Agha Shahid Ali.
   
3. "The Ghazal of What Hurt" by Peter Cole.
   

Tips for Creative Writing:

• Embrace Repetition: The consistent refrain creates a melodic quality.
  
• Convey Emotional Intensity: Ghazals often explore themes of love, loss, and longing.
  
• Play with Imagery: Use vivid imagery and metaphor to enhance the emotional impact.
  

Questions for Exploration:

1. How does the repetition of the refrain contribute to the overall tone of the ghazal?
   
2. Can you think of other cultural traditions that incorporate similar poetic forms?
   

Additional Resources:

• Read the works of contemporary poets like Fatimah Asghar and Safia Elhillo for modern ghazals.
  
• Explore classical ghazals by Mirza Ghalib for insights into the traditional form.
  

Creative Writing Prompt:
Step 1: Choose a theme or emotion to explore in your ghazal.
Step 2: Craft the first rhyming couplet with a meaningful refrain.
Step 3: Continue developing the theme in subsequent couplets, maintaining the rhyme scheme.
Example:
In the night's embrace, a silent moonlight gleams (A) Lost in the echoes, the heart silently dreams (A) Whispers of love in the gentle night's streams (A) A ghazal's refrain, where longing redeems (A)

फस्टलभ, २०७०
There was a young man named Kumar. Kumar had recently left his studies at RR Campus and his brother’s house. He now lives alone in some corner of Patan. He didn’t study, didn’t have a job and was free all day. He used to go at Ritu’s tea shop daily to have tea and cigarettes. Kumar spent thousands of hours of his life in this tea shop.
One day Ritu’s mother approached Kumar asking him if he wanted to attend a religious seminar with her family. He accepted this invitation and the next Saturday he was there at the seminar. The cult leader was preaching about how body is just mere flesh and it is only the soul that truly matters. Kumar looked to his left and saw Rita already lost her own world of peacefulness. She had her eyes closed and seemed to be enjoying it. Kumar didn’t feel the same.
About a 100 meters away from Kumar’s flat, there lived a woman named Mira Bhattarai. Mira Bhattarai lived alone. She was married and her husband worked in a noodle factory somewhere in Pokhara. He used to visit Mira once in every two weeks and was gone by the next morning. Mira and Kumar started noticing each other.
One day, Mira knocked on Kumar’s door. She asked if she could come in. Kumar was surprised but managed to say yes. Mira started cleaning the apartment. He was surprised that his bed could look that clean. She also separated some of his clothes and the rest were carefully folded and kept in the closet. She packed the separated clothes and gently said she would return them after ironing. Kumar made her a cup of tea. And a song, a romantic song, was playing on the record player. Kumar and Mira had a conversation on poems and poets. That night, Mia borrowed some of Kumar’s book, records and his personal notebook of poems as well. They had another cup of tea, this time made by Mira and then parted ways.
Kumar sometimes got into heated discussions with other people at Ritu’s tea shop. Mainly about body and soul. He disagreed when people dismissed body as mere flesh. He thought human body was something of a mirage itself.
Kumar and Mira started hanging out more often. They used to go to the movies. Kumar, who hadn’t watched any romantic movies, had now started to watch films like “Dilwale Dulhaniya Lejaenge”. Kumar and Mira also had several cups of tea for several hours at Ritu’s tea shop. During these hangouts, Ritu would watch Kumar and Mira through the small kitchen window and after sometime when Kumar asked “Ritu, let’s have some tea, shall we?”, she would get up and make the tea silently.
One evening, Mira came to Kumar’s house and returned…

Hi! I'll try to keep it short and sweet. Also, I apologise if I didn't tag this properly. Still relatively new to posting on Reddit, more of a lurker than a typer.
Anyhow, my problem: I am in the process of preparing for an oral exam in English (for university) - as part of the exam, I need to find and research topics of discussion and I have settled upon the figure of Salome and how she is presented in English literature/poetry. I already have Carol Ann Duffy's poem about Salome (also just called "Salome", whodathunk? /jk) but I am struggling to find a specific poem. I can't remember the title nor the poet's name, all I remember of it, is that it details Salome's thoughts and regrets and the irony of her death in a frozen lake. There's also a specific allusion to the fate of John the Baptist, as the poem describes Salome stuck up to her neck in the lake (almost like a certain man's head on a platter).
Like I said, I can't remember neither title nor poet for the life of me and Google is not playing nice. The poem doesn't mention Salome by name, either in the title or in verse, which might make it more difficult to find. I'd be very grateful however, if someone does find it!
P.S.: any mistakes in grammar or punctuation are entirely my fault. It's been a long time since I wrote in full proper colloquial English xD

Week 9: Villanelles and Clerihews - Lecture and Discussion
Objective: - Explore the complex structure of villanelles and the humorous nature of clerihews. - Understand the repetition and rhyme scheme in villanelles. - Discuss the poetic possibilities of creating witty biographical verses in clerihews.
Day 1: Introduction to Villanelles - Lecture: - Definition and characteristics of villanelles. - Explanation of the ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA rhyme scheme and repetition.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. What interests you about the complex structure and repetition in villanelles?
  2. How does the ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA rhyme scheme contribute to the impact of villanelles?
  3. Can you think of any famous villanelles or poets known for this style?

Day 2: Analyzing Villanelles - Part 1 - Lecture: - In-depth analysis of classic villanelles. - Exploration of the ways repetition enhances the thematic elements.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. How does the repetition contribute to the intricate structure and thematic depth in villanelles?
  2. What emotions or themes are effectively conveyed through this unique form?
  3. Share your thoughts on the importance of repetition in villanelles.

Day 3: Analyzing Villanelles - Part 2 - Lecture: - Discussing modern variations and themes in villanelles. - Exploring the diverse ways poets use repetition for artistic effect.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. How have modern villanelles evolved in terms of themes and structure?
  2. In what ways does the incorporation of repetition broaden the possibilities in written expression?
  3. Share examples of themes or concepts suitable for a villanelle.

Day 4: Crafting Villanelles - Part 1 - Lecture: - Step-by-step guide on crafting the refrains and building the structure of a villanelle. - Emphasis on creating a thematic foundation.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. What challenges do you anticipate in crafting the refrains and building the structure of a villanelle?
  2. How can you establish a strong thematic foundation within the repetition and rhyme scheme?
  3. Share examples of themes or emotions you might explore in a villanelle.

Day 5: Crafting Villanelles - Part 2 - Lecture: - Step-by-step guide on completing the remaining stanzas and refrains of a villanelle. - Emphasis on creating resolution and impact.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. Why are the final stanzas and refrains crucial in providing resolution in a villanelle?
  2. How can a villanelle evoke a sense of completeness within its repeated lines?
  3. Share and discuss individual villanelles, highlighting successful elements.

Homework Assignment: - Craft a villanelle focusing on a theme or emotion that lends itself well to the repetition and structure.
Study Guide Questions: 1. Reflect on the challenges of crafting the refrains and building the structure of your villanelle. How did you establish a strong thematic foundation? 2. How did you approach creating resolution and impact in the final stanzas and refrains of your villanelle? 3. What insights did you gain from the process of crafting a villanelle?
Quiz: Assessment on the understanding of villanelles, their ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA rhyme scheme, and the impact of repetition.
Day 6: Introduction to Clerihews - Lecture: - Definition and characteristics of clerihews. - Exploration of the humorous and biographical nature of these verses.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. What intrigues you about the humorous and biographical elements in clerihews?
  2. How might the concise structure and witty tone contribute to the charm of clerihews?
  3. Can you think of any famous clerihews or poets known for this style?

Day 7: Analyzing Clerihews - Part 1 - Lecture: - In-depth analysis of classic clerihews. - Exploration of the ways clerihews play with biographical details.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. How does the concise structure and witty tone contribute to the humor in clerihews?
  2. What unique perspectives or insights can arise from the biographical elements in these verses?
  3. Share your thoughts on the importance of brevity in clerihews.

Day 8: Analyzing Clerihews - Part 2 - Lecture: - Discussing modern variations and themes in clerihews. - Exploring the diverse ways poets create witty biographical verses.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. How have modern clerihews evolved in terms of themes and structure?
  2. In what ways does the incorporation of biographical details broaden the possibilities in written expression?
  3. Share examples of themes or concepts suitable for a clerihew.

Day 9: Crafting Clerihews - Part 1 - Lecture: - Step-by-step guide on selecting a subject and establishing the concise structure of a clerihew. - Emphasis on creating humor through wit.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. What challenges do you anticipate in selecting a subject and establishing the concise structure of a clerihew?
  2. How can you ensure that the biographical details contribute to the humor and wit in this form?
  3. Share examples of subjects or individuals you might explore in a clerihew.

Day 10: Crafting Clerihews - Part 2 - Lecture: - Discussing the role of wordplay and creativity in crafting clerihews. - Exploration of different techniques for creating clever and amusing verses.

• Discussion Questions:
  1. How does wordplay contribute to the humor and wit in clerihews?
  2. In what ways can different techniques for creating clever verses impact the overall effect of the clerihew?
  3. Share and discuss individual clerihews, highlighting successful elements.

Homework Assignment: - Craft a clerihew focusing on a subject or individual, infusing humor and wit into the concise structure.
Study Guide Questions: 1. Reflect on the challenges of selecting a subject and establishing the concise structure of your clerihew. How did you create humor through wit? 2. How did wordplay and creativity contribute to the crafting of your clerihew? 3. What insights did you gain from the